PhD student in spider behavioural ecology and evolution

Do you live in Auckland?

Do you have giant spider sheet-webs in the back yard which look a little like this?

Then you are probably the proud owner of a New Zealand sheet-web spider!

Male sheet-web spider

Hurray for you

But seriously. I am currently collecting these males for my doctoral thesis and am keen to hear from anyone who has them in their backyard. In particular, these males tend to wander around in the summer and have a very good/bad habit of falling into people’s bathtubs and not being able to get out again.

Webs can be up to a metre across but will generally be closer to 30 by 30 cm. Spiders can be seen hanging under the webs at night

Their bodies are almost 2cm long and leg span adds about another 7cm in length. They may bite if harassed but are NOT dangerous and are NOT aggressive

I would love to hear from anyone who has them in their backyard or who has collected them from inside their homes. Email me at leilani.walker@auckland.ac.nz